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Encryption: A Shield for Privacy — and for Crime
Ordinary citizens and organized-crime bosses use the same tool to keep governments out of their business: for some, encryption means free speech and anonymity from surveillance; for others, cover for illegal deals. The debate over what to do about that hasn't been settled by outlawing the math.
Published
By
Brace
A drug courier drops a package at a prearranged spot. He texts the dealer to confirm a Bitcoin payment has cleared, then leaves. The person who picks up the package texts back that everything went to plan. A few streets away, police officers surveilling the deal intercept the messages — and see nothing but rows of letters and numbers that mean nothing to anyone without the key.